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THE 



SUN-GOD 



An Indian Edda. 



BY J.E.%HARTON 



PHOENIX, ARIZ. 
1889. 



THE 



Sun-God 



An Indian Edda 



From tHe MytHology and Traditional Lore 
of the Sun- Worshiping Indians. 



7 

BV J. E. WHARTON. 



Phcenix, Ariz.: 
Published by '-HeraM" Power Printing House. 

1889. 






COPYRIGHTED BY 

J. E. WHARTON 

1889. 



DEDICATED TO 

MKS. LENA F. SEARS, 

WHO SO KINDLY COMMENDED AND ENCOUKAGED THE 

COMPOSITION AND PUBLICATION OF THIS LITTLE 

WORK, AND ALSO AS A TOKEN OF THE HIGH 

REGARD AND ESTEEM OF THE AUTHOR. 



CONTENTS 



Introduction ----- 7 

The Ckeation - - - - 11 

Origin op Man - - - - 17 

The Great Flood - - - - 21 

The Evil Spirit - - - - 24 

ZUNNA - - - _ . 27 

The Sun-Tribe - - - - - 31 

M0KTEZUM4 ----- 37 

End of the World - - - - 52 

Conclusion ----- 58 

Notes -.-__. 55 



Introduction. 



Ill tliiy bright clime 1 have a friend, 
A chieftain, very wise and old; 
Oft' together, we hours spend 
In ancient lore- — This tale he told 
About his Sun-God's wondrous power; 
Tlie source of heat, and light, and force, 
And life, and time, for every hour 
Is counted by the Sun's bright course. 



INTRODUCTION. 



He told me how the world began, 
Thrown from the Sun's great molten sea. 
And was prepared for birth of man, 
And of its God the Zaptor-Zee. 
And how earth's life when it is done, 
Shall melt within the Sun's great sea. 
All dross burned out, for in the Sun 
Is heat, and light, and purity. 
And this chief truth he bade me know, 
^'That heat alone gives light and force; 
That naught exists without its glow^ 
For 'tis of life, the only source. 
That heat alone makes light and power. 
And on these three all life depends. 



INTRODUCTION. 



Take heat away and at tliat hour, 
On all that's living, death attends. 
Vet death is naught for to the Sun, 
Our every vital spark shall fly, 
And when our earthly race is done. 
The Sun -God guides us with His eye. 
For in His sight there's nothing lost. 
He vratches all within His bound. 
The smallest spark though tempest tost. 
Safe in Snn's sea, will yet be fonnd." 



*J'be Creation, 



•' 'Twas many thousand moons, before 
The first man ever had been born, 
The Snn God stooped and upward bore, 
A molten mass from Sun's sea torn. 
He hurled it forth past farther star, 
Then watclied and marked its bound. 
The fiery ball retnrned, and far 
Beyond the Sun, again came roiiu(]. 



12 THE CREATION. 

The Siui-Gocl saw tlie shining shower, 

Half bended like a warrior's bow. 

Then by his will and magic power, 

He made the world in circle go, 

Yet steady, by his poM'er bound 

As Sun-God wills, it keeps its place, 

And speedy makes each circling round. 

While whirling through the awful space. 

The thin air on it densely pressed, 

And much by heat, to vapM' turned, 

In water fell upon its breast, 

AVhile thunders roared and lightnings burned. 

So seas were made and rivers broad. 

Ran o'er the l)lack scorched land: 



THE CREATION. IB 

Just as our miglity strong Sun-God, 
Had in his wisdom planned. 
Then cold condensed and vrarmed by Sun. 
The crust breaks into liner mold, 
Prepared the ground and then begun 
The work of His Sun children bold. 
For in earth's centre, Zinktor-Zun, 
Ruled by the Earth-God Zaptor-Zee, 
Live where the molten rivers run, 
Into a tiery molten sea. 
Their labor was like childhood's glee, 
Above their little sparks they tlirew. 
Up from their bright and molten sea; 
Then plants and animals, in view, 



14 THE CREATION. 

Rise living, every lierb and tree. 
By pairs the animals arise, 
Of every kind, each finds its food, 
For everything beneatli the skies, 
By Sun-God planned is very good. 
The plants and trees and flowers bloom 
To them the Sun gives color bright, 
For everything He giveth room, 
Must take its hue from His Sun light. 
He shows this in His bow so- grand. 
That roundly on the clouds He bends, 
From this grand bow, on all the land, 
His shades of color brio;ht descends. 
We see it on the leaves of trees. 



tup: crp:ati()N. 15 

And every graceful flower; 

So we do And all things to please, 

In Sun's heat, light and power. 

And lest we may remember ill 

Immortal, we to Sun shall fly, 

Unsightly worms all dead and still, 

In beauty rise and float on high. 

And when in winter all is dead, 

Each leaf, and plant, and flower. 

The light and heat from His great head 

In Spring, destroys death's power. 

And every niglit the Sun goes down 

In western waves of Death's great Sea, 

When morning comes His glorious crown 



16 THE CREATION. 

FiNjiii Sea of Life comes bright and free. 
So death is iiothina; life doth rise 
Each day beneath the Son-God bright, 
And all of life beneath the skies 
Is part of Him, His life and light. 
Earth hath its life from Snn-God given, 
For heat is life, and light and force, 
And everything that's under heaven 
Has life alone from Sun-God's source.'' 



0F^ijgin of TVlci". 



*^Far in the north, 'neatb frozen sky, 
There is a cavern grand and v^ast, 
Whei'e icy nionntaiiis tower liigh, 
So cold and bleak, no man hath passed, 
Nor can endnre. There is the gate 
Where Zinktor-Zun have entered in; 
Where Zaptor-Zee did watch and wait 
command, his labors to begin. 



IS ORIGIN OF MAN. 

riie sliiiuDg Sun-God from his tliroiie, 

The signal makes, that night the north 

Gave Zaptoi-'s light, its bright beams shone 

To southern sky, swift gleaming forth: 

In colors white, that change to red 

AVere these, the sparks that first made man, 

When Zaptor-Zee rais'd high his head. 

And as this light o'er earth's face ran. 

Up rose the forms of men all strong, 

Up rose the forms of women fair; 

And so their race tliey might prolong, 

There was of each a living pair. 

Nearest -the north the white men grow, 

A cunning, hardy, crafty race; 



ORIGIN OF MAN. 19 

They get their hearts from breath of snow. 

While southward is the red men's place. 

Each race doth have its color true, 

From sparks thrown out by Zaptor-Zee; 

For in the north tlie white sparks flew. 

The red sparks fell by southern sea. 

And now the world was full of life, 

And chief of all this life was man, 

Fie ruled the wild beasts in their strife. 

Saw, but knew not the Sun-God's plan. 

So life to men was wondrous strange, 

They do as do the beasts around, 

x\nd learn their passions fitful change. 

In love and mirth they first abound, 



Zi) ORIGIN OF MAN. 

And then in madness, rude and fierce, 
They shed each other's blood — the cries 
Of tortured victims that they pierce, 
8oon reached the Sun-God in the skies. 
And then He veiled His face — The gloom 
Roused Zaptor-Zee, who looking forth. 
Saw Sun-God's signal for man's doom, 
And angry lights blazed in the north." 



The Gi'eat llood. 



''Then Zaptor-Zee in towering lieiglit, 

Lifts up an icy mountain vast, 

And bowed in all his strength of miglit, 

And forth the heavy burden cast. 

So great the strain of Earth-God grand, 

The world was shaken from its trail. 

And now the seas swept all the land. 

And few were left to tell the tale. 



22 THE GREAT FLOOD. 

But where that icy mountain fell, 

Tezpi and sons, with wives did gain 

The mighty raft, and floated well, 

Till landed on a level plain. 

Then hack into the mighty seas, 

The flood's vast waters quickly ran. 

All living dead, save only these. 

Who should renew the race of man, 

And now again the Zinktor-Zun, 

Ruled by the Earth-God Zaptor-Zee, 

Where streams of molten metal run, 

Into earth's central molten sea; 

Fp through the earth their life sparks send, 

Up through the land and in the seas; 



THE GREAT FLOOD. 23 

These quickly all the life do luend, 
Revive the flowers, plants and trees; 
Tliej do their work witli playful whim ; 
The animals now all arise, 
While in the sea great fishes swim, 
And soncr birds trill throughout the skies. 
And Tezpi, with nis sons and wives, 
Beneath the Sun -God's cheerful light, 
Renew'd man's race, and each one sti'ives 
To learn and know the heavens bright; 
To learn and know the Sun-God's plan. 
And what is ill, and what is right, 
And all things best, in life, for man." 



The Qv>n Sl>i"t. 



"Then came a demon black as night, 
From where no Sunlight ever streams, 
The Evil One who hides from light, 
AVhere never falls the Sun's bright beams. 
To men he brings but sin and crime, 
Seeks but to make their labor vain, 
Makes bad their hearts with poison slime 
And tries to break the Sun-God's reign. 



THE EVIL SPIRIT. 25 

His victims, mad with passions burn, 
Drives all that's good in them away, 
All sweets to bitter in them turn, 
Man's vital spark he seeks to slay. 



In later years your tribe has brought. 

This Evil One to iis more strong. 

And have our tribe great trouble wrought, 

And done us grievous shame and wrong. 

He is your tire- water fiend. 

That so excites bad passions wild. 

And much the red man has demeaned, 



26 THE EVIL SPIRIT. 

His love, and home, and life defiled. 

Promotes each wicked, sinful scheme; 

Will make a mother slay her child; 

And turns sweet sleep to demon's dream. 

So many of my tribe — Woe's me! 

Have fallen by this poison'd draft, 

That few are left on earth to see, 

Which God shall break this demon's shaft.'' 



2iunna. 



''For many moons my people sought, 
A warmer home than frozen north, 
And gath'ring all their toil had brought, 
On southward trail they journey'd forth. 
And many fell along the way, 
By mountain demons killed, while some 
From sickness died, and day by day. 
They weaker grew, ne'er reaching home. 



28 ZUNNA. 

Till all were dead and gone, save one — 
Our mother, Znnna, beauteous maid ; 
Most favored daughter of the Sun, 
Here in this valley, weary strayed. 
And here on sylvan boughs she found 
The sweetest fruit by Sun -God made 
To save his love. Here on the ground 
She laid for rest, her charms displayed. 
The Sun -God saw her good and pure, 
Knelt down and from His loving eyes 
His magic cast — she slept secure. 
How long she lay the Sun's loved prize, 
She never knew. The balmy air 
She softly breathed, and had sweet dreams. 



THE SUN TRIBE. 29 

Of lovely lands and views so fair, 

Of summer vales and laughing streams; 

And lover with a golden crown, 

Who to her sued on bended knees. 

And at her feet low bowine^ down, 

Strove in sweet words his suit to please. 

He seemed a young man wondrous fair, 

With flowing hair and sun-bright eyes. 

Transported with a love so rare. 

She yields herself a willing prize 

And then the time so swiftly flew. 

In love and j(jy — There seemed no night 

Could ever shade the skies so blue. 

Blest by such love, 'mid scenes so bright. 



80 ZUNNA. 

At last the Sun-God bade her rise, 
From her long dream of love and joy; 
She woke, and with a glad surprise, 
Found by iier side a girl and boy. 
These Zunna h)ved with mother's care. 
And nursed and taught them all she knew, 
Of arts of peace and wiles of war; 
And when they man and woman grew, 
The Sun-God bow'd one glowing day 
And straightway to His home above, 
He took fair Zunna, there to stay. 
Nor let death mar His chosen love." 



*rbe Sun T^be, 



"'From these Sun children all my tribe 
Were born, so plainly you may see, 
Why we to Sun -God do ascribe, 
Heat, light, force, life and purity; 
For we His children knowing more, 
Than those less favor'd e'er can know, 
How Father's sunbeams on us pour, 
And make with life our pulses glow. 



32 THE SUN TRIBE. 

And how this land where Ziinna dwelt, 
Is man's best home, on earth most fair 
For here the Sun Himself hath knelt, 
In love unto our mother rare, 
And here the Sun keeps lightest day. 
And sheds His brightest beams; 
Olouds rare obscure His loving ray. 
O'er Arizona's vales and streams," 



THE SUN TRIBE. 33 

''And here for many, many years 
Oni- fathers lived and toil'd and died. 
They built great towns and had no fears 
Of demons from the mountain's side; 
They had grand temples for the Sun 
And daily worship always paid; 
Had great ways built for waters' run; 
Broad fields rich harvests yearly made. 
The tribe was many thousands strong, 
And in its strength grew rich and proud, 
And let vile passions rule it wrong. 
Till Sun-God in His anger bowed. 
Then from the mountains demons came, 
And quickly spread in mighty bands 



3-t THE SUN TRIBE. 

iVnd tljousands slew, scarce left a name 

Of Sun-Tribe on fair Zunna's lands; 

Tliey burned our homes and temples down. 

Filled up and dried our water ways. 

And made the land a desert bi-own; 

Dead seemed all love in Sun-God's rays. 

These mountain demons were unlike 

All others unto Sun -Tribe known, 

So tall and strong, could death blows strike, 

At every stroke, with ax of stone. 

Our arrows fell all harmless down. 

From armor made of bison hide; 

And so they slew in every town. 

Till Sun-Tribe's braves all fled or died; 



THE SUN TRIBE. 

And women, children, bul- a few 
Escaped to other lands again. 
To seek and make a home anew. 
By sea-shore, or on sonthern plain. 
My band then driven far to west, 
Fonnd refnge by a river broad, 
But strongly still by demons pressed, 
No temple built to great Sun-God ; 
And so they lived for weary years, 
And weak and weaker have they grown 
In toil and trouble, pain and fears, 
Till Snn-God's worship scarce is known. 
At last a tribe in friendship bound 
Itself unto our little band. 



35 



36 THE SUN TKIBE. 

And then retuniing we have found, 
A home agrain in Zunna's land. 
But never shall we see again 
The great Sun temples standing high, 
They now are mounds upon the plain, 
But Sun- God still doth rule the sky. 
Our rites are few, w^e have no priest, 
Yet every morn at Sun-Tribe homes. 
Our people watch the lighting east 
To see if Moktezuma comes.'' 



7VloH*ei5iima. 



"You tell ine from your book tliat talks 
How your great God His Son did send. 
To live awhile in earthly walks. 
And for us all, His life did end; 
How He hath saved us by His blood. 
And taught us all to make life pure, 
I listened, for the lore is good, 
All's good that makes the spark secure. 



88 MOKTKZUMA. 

Our Sun-God too, to us did seud 

Great Moktezuiua, His own Son; 

He was the Sun -Tribe's best, best friend, 

And taught us how all things were done; 

He showed iis how to form the bow, 

And make the feathered arrow shaft, 

And how to meet our mountain foe, 

With all the hunter's wily craft. 

He leai-ned us how to turn the mold. 

And brought us maize and-trego seed, 

And built the ke-je, grain to hold. 

As food for all in winter's need. 

And bade us always have supply, 

For twelve fall moons wdien harvest conies. 



MOKTEZUMA. . 31> 

80 that no season cold or dry, 
Should famine make in tribal homes. 
He learned ns how to make survey, 
And have tlie waters outward flow. 
From mountain streams, and so make way 
For moisture, that our crops might grow. 
The mescal plant he showed and taught, 
How sweetest food from it is made. 
And how its juice fermented brought 
Men passions wild, and havoc played. 
He showed to us the compass plant. 
So we might never wandering lose 
The trail, and die in famished want. 
He taught the games that us amuse, 



40 MOKTEZUMA. 

And made the play of tossing sticks,- 

And taught young men to throw the ball 

From off the foot — and simple tricks 

In time of rest, to please us all. 

T(dd each voung man to choose a friend. 

And to him ever faithful be, 

And if their lives they purely spend. 

From every wrong completely free; 

Good spirits shall between them go, 

Though far apart they chance to roam, 

They ev'ry day shall surely know 

If good or ill to each has come. 

He learned the women how to weave 

Their webs of bark, and baskets neat. 



MOKTEZUMA. 41 

How rear the children they conceive, 
And make the home life pure and sweet. 
The clay he showed them to anneal, 
And ollas make for every use, 
And made metats to grind the meal, 
And tanght them every artless rnse. 
To make their lovers love them well ; 
So peace and comfort in each home. 
Where any of onr tribe shall dwell, 
He'll find again when he shall come. 
He taught our priests their worship grand, 
And laid the first great altar stone. 
And iztli, shaped by his own hand, 
Made sacrificial rites first known. 



42 MOKTEZUMA. 

(You shake your head at this — take heed, 
Your rite was worse by far than ours, 
While yours did make a God to bleed, 
We, with men, best serv'd His powers. 
You say for sin blood must atone, 
And pardon brings to you and I; 
Clean seems the Sun-tribe's altar stone. 
To yours, who caused God's Son to die.) 
Ere Moktezuma's work was done. 
He showed us where the temple stood, 
And how the shrine of God the Sun, 
On eastern top, is built of wood. 
And at the northeast corner stands. 
The bloody shrine of God of War, 



MOKTEZUMA. 48 

For from that quarter demon bands 
Have always come our homes to mar. 
And on tlie nortliern rim shall stand, 
The shrine of Zaptor, God of Earth. 
And at the west, dear to our band, 
Zunna's, God's love, who gave us birth. 
x\nd at the south a shrine be placed, 
For Zinktor Zun, who gave the fields. 
The fruitful life, that hath them graced 
And all the charm the earth-mold yields. 
That willing victijns give the heart 
Alone on Sun -God's holy shrine; 
And when their sparks to Him depart, 
May tell how fares it with our line. 



44 MOKTEZUMA. 

That captives taken by war's art, 

Should make the War-God's face to shine; 

When from their breasts we tear their hearts 

And place them on his bloody shrine, 

These held and slain by priestly force, 

Upon the round black altar stone, 

So made to quit their evil course, 

And for their crimes in blood atone; 

Before the Earth-God fruits shall lie. 

The chosen best of every "kind. 

And flowers sweet of rarest dye. 

Will Zunna's love to maidens bind; 

And on the shrine of Zinktor-Zun, 

Place fruits and blossoms fresh and fair, 



MOKTEZUMA. 



45 



To please these children of the Sun, 

Who made them grow so rich and rare. 

He bade that on the temple fair, 

No idols ever should arise; 

That all our worship grand and rare, 

Should be the Gods above the skies. 

He told us wizards to destroy, 

And all that work by demon's charms. 

So they the tribe may not annoy. 

By any craft, to make us harm. 

He told us how to know them well, 

How iiames do from their nostrils pour; 

And how they make dumb beasts to swell, 

The crops to blast, while sick and sore 



46 ^[()KTEZUMA. 

Onr niaideiiy pine, or children n^an. 
In fever burn, or kill onr kine. 
That all snch demons ontward ran. 
Be slain beyond the tribal line. 
And then he tanoht ns all the law. 
That shonld the tribe together hold, 
How strife shonld cease, and any liaw 
Lots should decide, nor love o-row cold. 
He tanght ns wdiat things were unclean. 
And bade us very careful .be, 
That nothing sordid, vile or mean, 
The Sun-God's eye shonld ever see, 
Lest Hl might veil His loving face, 
And then disease or famine send 



MOKTEZUMA. 4:7 

Or Signal Earth-God in his place, 

Again man's life by flood to end. 

That bloody issues are unclean. 

And every woman so bestrait, 

If child she has the child must wean, 

And from the tribe must outward wait 

Till issue cease, and when the Sun 

Shines clear on her, at early morn 

Must bathe in stream — Her illness done, 

Returning then her lodge adorn. 

That woman shall court her own love 

And ask the man to make her wife. 

And if unchaste she ever prove 

The man may maim, or take her life. 



48 MOKTEZUMA. 

And wlieii a warrior a man kills — 
Thono;ii mountain demon — he must bide 
Away from tribe, and hide in hills 
Till the clear Sun, in morning ride 
The eastern sky, and shining bright, 
Then lave in stream, he may return 
All clean and pure in Sun-God's sight, 
To where his lodge's tires burn. 
That doctors should be men of skill; 
If many die from fell disease, 
The Gods have seen their lives are ill; 
The tribe to save and Gods to please, 
We must at once the doctors slay; 
Let others learn and take their place 



MOKTEZL^MA. 411 

But have them know that always tliey 

Must surely die, or save the race. 

He taught us that no vital spark, 

By fault of us he kept away. 

Or held hy force in shadows dark. 

Hid from the Sun-God's light of day. 

So bade us all the dead to burn. 

As soon as life in them goes out, 

So that to Sun^ they may return; 

And that night's. darkness we must rout. 

By tires bright for thirty nights, 

Upon the mounds, where we have laid 

Their ashes 'neath — so that the lights 

May guide them thro' the earth's dark shade. 



50 MOKTEZUMA. 

He bade us too, this rite to give 

E'en to the foe, in battle slain; 

For Sun-God ^ave the spark to live 

And to him it must come again. 

He m.ade the sacred lire burn 

A¥hich must be bright on temple dome, 

To greet him when he shall return 

To take us to the Sun-God's home. 

Far in the southland there's a stone. 

Great Moktezuma planned and made 

To show us how the time had flown. 

And how tlie earth from path had swayed. 

He said at last within the Sun, 

All dross burn'd out, pure we shall be, 



m(>ktp:zuma. 51 

Our Snn-God's children, Zinktor-Ziin, 
And tliere no night shall ever see. 
Then from the earth he went away, 
Up to his Father's sunlit home; 
And when the Sun-G-od sets the day, 
He unto us again will come." 



"When Moktezuma went to Sun, 
He bade us count each passing year. 
When five times ten and two are done 
At one such term the end is near. 
And on the night the tale is told, 
A victim dies at Sun-God's shrine. 



52 :\i()KTEzrMA. 

No light must burn, all dark and cold, 
E'en Sacred Fire must not shine. 
If on the morn the Sun rise bright, 
We know the time is not yet come, 
The Sacred Flame anew we light, 
And feasts are spread in every home/' 



Gnd of the W)oi'lcl 



''The fathers told liow Siiii-God grand, 
In miglity power made the world; 
And how thrown out by His strong hand. 
Past farther star was swiftly hurled. 
And when we see a burning star, 
Fly fast on high with fiery trail, 
'Tis a new world He's thrown afar. 
Which shall repeat the earthly tale. 



54 END OF THE WOELJ). 

And then they told the wondrous deedt 
Of Zaptor-Zee and Zinktor-Zun; 
Who gave earth life to serve all needs, 
At signal from the God of Sun. 
In the eartii's center Zinktor-Zun, 
Ruled by the Earth-God Zaptor-Zee, 
Live where the molten rivers run. 
Into a fiery molten sea. 
And in their glee and revelry. 
The molten waves do often break. 
Upon the shores of that bright sea, 
And then the hi lis and valleys shake. 
Sometimes they open mountain top. 
And throw the burning lava out. 



END OF THE WORLD. 55 

Or hills upon the valleys drop, 

While iiery rivers flow about. 

For earth can live, but while the heat 

In it shall live, and glow and stay; 

No life shall be, no pulse shall beat. 

When heat to Sun has passed away. 

For heat is light, and force, ana life, 

And must forever be its meed. 

Fve marvelled much at white men's strife. 

Who make and use the thunder seed, 

That sends the bullet to the mark. 

Yet see not that 'tis heat and force, 

But have your minds so blindly dark, 

Unto the lio-ht, that shows its course. 



56 END OF THE WORLD. 

And then yon make the liery horse, 
That sviftly runs across the hiiid, 
AVliich has in heat the mighty force, 
Yon ^uard so well with iron band. 
And then yon stretch the talking wire, 
And often see, and note its spark; 
Wlio sees not life within that tire, 
His mind indeed is very dark. 
Whence comes this light, is not the same 
Derived from heat^ Theii 'tis from Sun; 
The Sun makes all the stars of tiame, 
Their hills to rise, their waters run; 
Makes all theii- growth and keeps it warm 
Makes all that lives in them abound; 



END OF thp: world. 57 

Makes sunshine bright, and chjudy storm; 
Makes all, rules all the worlds around/' 



''When Zaptor-Zee the mountain threw, 
The earth ball left her sun-marked trail, 
A little space, but ne'er anew 
Can gain her path — -the closing tale 
From there begins — at every round 
A shorter length, so we draw nigh 
To Sun's grand sea, with nearer bound. 
Yet many thousand moons go by. 
Ere earth shall reach that centre bright, 
Though each twelve moons a little span 



58 END OF THE WORLD. 

Is won, toward that sea of light, 
And as the earth grows cold and wan, 
Like aged man, with motion slow. 
Though it shall have a shorter trail. 
Twelve moons shall always come and go. 
Each yearly round, to count the tale. 
And when it last, its heat all spent, 
It then can have no life or force. 
Back to the Sun each spark has went; 
The old earth then drops from its course, 
And into Sun will quickly fall; 
Its sin as dross be burned away, 
And there shall wait the future call, 
To serve again the God of Day." 



Qonelusion. 



^'But since your tribe to ns has come, 
Gone is the worship of the Sun. 
The sacred Hre on the dome 
Is dead: This yours to us have done. 
And many, many moons have gone, 
Since victim died on altar stone. 
And yet the Sun-God still shines on: 
There's only mounds where temples shone. 



60 CONCLUSION. 

The Sun-Tribe now is poor and weak, 
Gone are its shrines of cedar wood, 
But Sun-God yet some day will speak, 
For He is great and strong and good. 
Mayhap this failing is the sign. 
That Moktezuma soon will come. 
And that this dying of our line, 
Is just before the welcome home. 
And yet sometimes it seems to me. 
That yon and I both seek' the same 
Great God of life all pure and free; 
That while we grope all blind and lame, 
Your God of Light, my God of Day; 
My Moktezuma — your God's Son, 



CONCLUSION. 61 

Are all true lights upon the way, 
By which we seek life's source — the Sun. 
Your God, you say, is life and light. 
And sin hath brought us death and pain, 
Arid in your Heaven there's no night. 
Relieved from sin to die is gain. 
Our Sun-God too is life and light. 
He sin destroys — then ceases pain; 
On Sun's bright face there is no night, 
For all is light within His reign. 
1 ou speak of Hell that sin destroys. 
And all the Evil One hath given 
Our Sun burns out all that annoys. 
And changes Hell into a Heaven, 



62 CONCLUSION. 

For Sun's heat can no dross endure, 
Ko sin is there, no sorrow's blight, 
Kelined by lire, there all is pure, 
'Tis perfect day, 'tis life and h'ght." 



''We botli are old my white man friend, 
And in our world life shall not see 
The day when this great world shall end. 
Yet we shall meet in Sun's bright sea. 
And there immortal Zinktor-Zun, 
Both you and I will ever be; 
Or if the great God of the Sun 



CONCLUSION. ()3 



Should wisdom find in you or lue, 
When a new world shall outward run, 
He may choose one for Zaptor-Zee; 
And if on you tliat choice should fall, 
AYhen hurled in space by mighty Sun, 
Witli you rU ride the fiery ball, 
A bright, immortal Zinktor-Zun.-' 



NOTES. 



NOTES. 



The Sun-God— In writing this I have used the 
mythology and traditions of the River Indians of 
Arizona. There is quite a difference in the manners, 
laws and customs of these River Indians as com- 
pared to the hill or mountain tribes. They appear to 
be a remnant of the ancient Aztecs and claim a 
mythology and traditions many centuries preceding 
the conquest of Mexico. 

Page 8. And of its God the Zaptov-Zee. 

I have not pretended to give the unpronouncable 
names of the Indian deities. The Zaptor-Zee is the 
Aurora Borecdis of the north. 

Page 13. Their labor ivas like childhood's glee. 

All nations seem to have their little people in their 
lore. The creation of many things, to the Indian 
mind appears childish and whimsical. 



68 NOTES. 

Page 15. In ivestern ivaves of Death'' s great sea. 

As the setting sun appears to be drowned in the 
Pacific Ocean, it is called by the Indians the Sea of 
Death, while the Atlantic from which it rises in the 
morning, is called the Sea of Life. Among the sun- 
worshipers peculiar virtues are believed to exist in the 
waters of the Sea of Life which they use, when ob- 
tainable, in some of their religious rites. 

Page 22. Tezpi and sons uritli ivives did gain. 

This tradition prevails among the southern Indians 
and they generally use the name Tezpi as that of the 
head of the family which was saved from the Deluge. 

Page 27. On southward trail they journeyed forth. 
All the sun-worshiping Indians claim to have 
migrated, many centuries ago, from the northwest. 

Page 27. By mountain demons killed. 

This is English for w4iat the River Indians call the 
hostile tribes, especially the Apaches. 

Page 28. Our mother., Ziinna, heanteous maid. 

The story of Zunna (pronounced Zoon-nah) is giv- 
en in accordance with the claims of the River In- 
dians of Arizona. 



N()T» 



69 



Page 28. Tlie sweetest fruit by Sun-God made. 
This refers to the mesquit bean which grows on the 
mesquit, a species of the acacia tree in Arizona. 
From the pods of these beans the Indians grind a 
meal that is very sweet and nutritious. 
Page 32. O'er Arizona's vales and streams. 
As none of the ruins of the great sun temples are 
found north of Arizona and as all the traditions of the 
Aztecs claim that they migrated from the northwest 
it is plain that Arizona was the scene of Zunna's life 
and Moktezuma's labors. 
Page 34. TJtey burned our homes. 
Evidence of destruction by fire is generally found 
in excavating the pre-historic ruins of Arizona. 
Charred wood and the burnt ends of cedar beams, 
still sticking in the walls, where walls are standing, 
attest this fact. The exterminated people in some 
instances seem to have been taken by surprise while 
at peaceful avocations. Their remains have been found 
near cooking vessels containing the bones of animals, 
these vessels being over the charred remains of a 
fire, showing that the people were probably killed 
while preparing their food. 



70 NOTES. 



Page 34. ^4^ every stroke irith ax of stone. 

Many stone axes are found in and around the an 
oient ruins of Arizona. As no relics of the Stone 
Age except such as might be used for weapons are 
found here, this fact is strongly corroborative of the 
traditions of this ancient war of extermination. 

Page 35. 3Iy band then driven far to ivest. 

The Maricopa tribe almost exterminated by the 
ancient wars sought refuge on the low^er Colorado 
river. 

Page 35. At last a tribe in friendship bound. 

The Pima tribe made a treaty of protection with 
the Maricopas and the latter then removed to the 
lands Vv'here they now live, at the junction of the Salt 
and Gila rivers in Arizona. 

Page 38. Gi^eat Moktezuma, His own Son. 

Moktezuma the great leader and Law-giver of the 
sun-worshiping Indians must not be mistaken for 
the Montezuma overcome by Cortez. Moktezuma 
antedated the conquest of Mexico many centuries. 

Page 38. And brought us maize and irego seed. 

Maize (pronounced mice.) Trego (pronounced tree 



go,j is wheat. Of this these Indians rfiise a super- 
ior variety. They claim great antiquity in its intro- 
duction, but most prol);i 1.1 v received the grain first 
from the Spaniards 

Pa(;e 38. A7id built the ke-je grain to hold. 
The keje (pronounced key-ye) is a round bin built 
of wicker-work and straw. 

Page ,-J8. And bade uh al.ivayH have mipply. 
These India»s always keep grain enough for a year 
in advance, until the pending harvest is assured. 

Page 39. He learned uh how to make mirvey. 

The pre-historic irrigating canals of Arizona show 
that those who made them had some system of sur- 
veying. Our engineers can improve but little on the 
levels of these ancient ditches. 

Page 39. The mescal plant he showed and taught. 

The mescal is the century plant. It heads up 
something like a cabbage for several years before 
sending up its flower stalk. These heads roasted 
make a sweet, nutritious food that will sustain life 
without any other aliment, for long periods. Prom 
its juice a strong intoxicant is made. 



72 NOTES. 



Page 39. He shoived to us the coiiipass plant. 

The compass plant is what is commonly known as 
"rosin weed" and grows on all praries and plains of 
the west. While young, its leaves point, in general 
bearing, north and south. 

Page 40. And made the play of tossing sticks. 

This is an old game of the River Indians and they 
sometimes gamble desperatqly on its chances. Sit- 
ting in a circle on the ground each player alternately 
tosses up the bunch of sticks and the game is 
counted according to the position they happen to 
take on falling to the ground. 

Page 40. And taught youyig men to throiv the-ball. 

This is a favorite game. The ball is made from 
gum-shellac obtained from what* is commonly called 
"grease-wood," a shrub that grows plentifully in 
Arizona. It is thrown from of¥ the foot for a long 
distance and then there is a foot race to see who will 
first recover the ball, the winner being entitled to 
the next throw. 

Page 40. Their webs of hark and baskets neat. 

On the advent of the whites into Arizona the dress 
of the Indian women was generally a short tunic of 



NOTES. 73 



woven bark. The baskets made by them are marvels 
of patient neatness and are so closely woven that 
they will hold water. 

Page 41. And ollas made for every use. 

These Indians make a great amount of porous or 
imglazed pottery. Their ollas, (pronounced oh-yahs) 
are made to contain water and for all cooking pur- 
poses. Being porous the water sweats through and 
the evaporation from the outside of such vessels 
makes the water within, cold in the hottest weather. 

Page 41. And made metats to grind the meal 

The metat is a hand mill v/ith a rubbing or grind- 
ing stone, both made of volcanic trap rock. 

Page 41. And iztU shaped by his own hand. 

Iztlii is obsidian or volcanic glass. The sacrificial 
knives and razors of the Aztecs were made of it. 

Page 42. On easteini top is built of wood. 

The pre-historic sun temples were built true to the 
cardinal points of the compass. 

Page 45. No idols ever shoidd arise. 

The River Indians claim that their ancestors never 
worshiped idols. No remains of idols have been 
found in any pre-historic temple ruin in Arizona. 



74 NOTES. 



Page 45. He told us iLiizards to clestroy. 

This practice of killing for witchcraft is still en- 
forced by the sun-worshiping Indians. It is so 
stated by Indian children who have been adopted 
into white families. Not many years ago the Mari- 
copas clubbed an alleged wizard to death, within the 
city limits of Phoenix, Arizona. The Zunis also en- 
force this law. 

Page 46. He taught us what things were uncleati. 
In this matter some of the customs of these In- 
dians resemble the usage and laws of the Jews. 

Page 46. That nothing sordid, vile or mean. 

Bancroft's "Native Races" gives a translation of a 
letter from an Aztec parent to a child, that for its 
teachings of pure morality w6uld be creditable to the 
enlightenment of our own race. 

Page 47. That woman shall court her oum love. 

This rule as to courtship and chastity still prevails 
among the Maricopa and Zuni Indians. 

Page 48. We must at once the doctors slay. 

This law is enforced whenever there is any great 
fatality from an epidemic disease. 



N()TK>. 75 



Page 49. -So bade u.s all tJie dead to burn. 

As soon as it is believed that death is inevitable, 
kindling and combustible material is placed under 
and about the bed and as soon as death takes place, 
fire is applied and the body, lodge and all property of 
the deceased is consumed. The ashes and bones of 
the dead are then gathered, placed in an oUa and 
buried. 

Page 50. He made the Sacred Fire biir}t. 

This fire was to be kept perpetually burning until 
Moktezuma's return. The Indians claim that it was 
so kept during all the years of the sun worship. 

Page 50. Far i)i the soufhland there's a stone. 
The great calendar stone of the Aztecs. See 
American Cyclopedia. 

Page 59. This yours to us have done. 

That the sun-worshiping Indians cling with re- 
markable tenacity to their belief was shown in the 
conquest of Mexico. The Catholics made few con- 
verts except by force and only succeeded in becom- 
ing paramount by mingling the Spanish blood with 
the native race. The smaller bands of these Indians 



76 NOTES. 



who failed to be so united rejected the Romish 
Church. The Zuni's tolerate Catholicism but retain 
all their traditional rites except human sacrifice. 
The Maricopas have never accepted the Catholic or 
any other Christian teaching. 




I A^ f DOBBS BROS. ^^ o 

"■^ ' IBRARy BINDINO - ^ « 



5ST. AUGUSTINE -^•' 






